On 30 May 2016, the Bahraini Court of Appeal toughened the sentence against Sheikh Ali Salman. The Secretary-General of Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society now faces nine years in prison, up from the previous sentence of four years. The court convicted him of “attempting to overthrow the regime.” The court previously acquitted him of this charge. We,[…]
27
May
May
The Special Procedures of the United Nations Human Rights Council released the 14th iteration of their joint communications report on Friday, May 27, 2016, documenting allegations of human rights abuses from around the world. In the most recent edition of the report, the Special Procedures singled out Bahrain and Saudi Arabia as among the worst[…]
25
May
May
The Government of Saudi Arabia has largely excluded the Eastern Province from the high economic development of other areas in the kingdom, despite the area holding the majority of the country’s oil wealth. The Eastern Province is also primarily home to the kingdom’s minority Shia population who continue to face systemic discrimination. The government routinely[…]
25
May
May
The situation of human rights defenders and activists in Bahrain is precarious. Today, one of the most prominent of these activists, Zainab al-Khawaja, sits in a prison cell along with her infant son. She is sick with the flu and her family has been denied access to care for her or her child. Zainab al-Khawaja[…]
17
May
May
On 14 May, Human Rights Watch (HRW) called for Emirati authorities to release Nasser bin Ghaith and drop all charges against him. Emirati authorities accused Bin Ghaith of insulting Egypt and violating UAE’s cybercrime and counterterrorism laws. HRW states that after his arrest in August 2015, Emirati forces subjected Bin Ghaith to torture during his[…]
